DELAYED LYONS REVIEW SET TO SHUNT CROSSRAIL PERMANENTLY INTO THE SIDINGS

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Sep 2005

The Liberal Democrats will later today warn that the Crossrail project is in danger of imminent collapse following the announcement by the Government that they are delaying the publication of the Lyons Report.

Ken Livingstone announced yesterday that funding for Crossrail would be agreed after the conclusion of the Lyons review. With the Lyons review significantly delayed, any announcement by central Government about where the cash for Crossrail will come from will be postponed for even longer.

At a Crossrail fringe meeting later today, the Liberal Democrats will call for the Mayor to take radical steps to get Crossrail back on track including calling for him to issue bonds to the city to kick start the funding before the project is 'kicked permanently into the trees behind the long grass'.

London Assembly Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Geoff Pope, will say:-

"With every day that goes by it looks increasingly like that the Crossrail scheme will be shunted permanently into the sidings.

"With less than a fifth of the needed cash put on the table by central Government to fund the scheme, and no further funding announcement any time soon, it is time that the Mayor looked at bold proposals in order to pay for Crossrail. The Mayor has already issued bonds to the City to pump investment into the Tube. Now it is time that he did the same for Crossrail.

"The more positive the Mayor can be about using innovative ways of raising money, such as issuing bonds, the more confidence Ministers will have that Crossrail could become a reality.

"The public have waited frustrated at the failure of national government to get moving. The Mayor must now step in before Gordon Brown kicks the Crossrail project permanently into the trees behind the long grass."

ENDS

Notes to editor

1768 / 2005 - Crossrail

Geoff Pope

When does he expect the Government to agree the funding for Crossrail? Is he concerned about the objections put forward by BAA and other companies about the current scheme?

The government recently announced that funding for Crossrail would be agreed after the conclusion of the Lyons review next year. External consultation with stakeholders is continuing on the issue. I would hope that consultation will follow soon after the release of the review and that an agreement on funding came soon after that.

Petitions from stakeholders are to be expected as part of the process for obtaining powers for the construction of the new railway. The petition and select committee hearing process ensure that concerns are properly addressed.